


What I'm Thankful For

by afteriwake



Series: A Thousand Suns [18]
Category: Bleach
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-16
Updated: 2012-10-16
Packaged: 2017-11-16 10:49:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/538637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/pseuds/afteriwake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She would draw strength from the man she loved.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What I'm Thankful For

“Nanao.”

She looked up as she was unpacking her belongings in her quarters. She almost hadn’t looked up; she knew his voice very well, having heard it so often from such a young age. She wasn’t ready to deal with him right now, but apparently she had no choice. “Captain.”

“It is good to see you,” he said from her doorway. “You look well.”

“Thank you,” she said quietly, going back to her belongings. Her hand stilled over an unopened envelope; Hisagi had pressed it into her hand before she went back to Soul Society. She grasped it and prayed for strength.

“I wanted to let you know we will not need you here for the entire month,” he said. She turned back quickly and caught the grin on his face. “I will only need you for a week. I am sure there are things more pressing for you to return to in the living world.”

“I thought you would be drowning in paperwork,” she said.

“Many things have changed in the months you’ve been gone,” he said. “And things were changing before, perhaps things you didn’t see.”

“That explains it, I suppose,” she said.

“When you are finished, perhaps you will accompany me on a walk, my Nanao-ch—“ He caught himself. “Nanao.”

“I am not sure it would be a good idea,” she said quietly.

“There is much to discuss.”

She looked down and ran her thumb across the letter. If she could read it first, she could gather strength. “Very well. I will most likely do less unpacking since I will not be here as long.”

“Take your time,” he replied. “I will be in the office when you are ready.” With that he left.

She moved to one of the chairs in her room, one of a pair of comfortable padded pieces she had spent six months saving for, where she had sat down in comfort to read book after book when she was done with a long day of work. They had been the first major things she had bought when she began getting paid. She had missed them, because there was nothing like them in the world of the living where she was staying. She sank down and ripped open the envelope. Inside was a letter and a photograph.

She smiled at the picture, which had her and Hisagi on all four shots on the strip. She remembered that day, when they had had their second date. He had wanted to try some things humans found fun, and he had seen a group of girls going into a booth to have their pictures taken. It had taken just a little cajoling for her to join him. She ran her finger over the last frame, which was photographic proof of their first kiss. He had offered it to her but she had refused, instead tucking it into the inside pocket of his jacket. She should have known she would end up with it anyway.

She opened the letter and looked at his handwriting. How he had ever managed to be the editor of the newsletter with penmanship like this she would never know. Or perhaps he had been rushed. She hoped it was the latter. She settled into her chair some more and began to read.

_Nanao,_

_I know that you don’t want to go, that you don’t want to deal with your captain and all that you have left behind. But you are strong, and lovely, and wonderful, and I am glad he never saw that because if he had I would not get to have you in my life the way I have you now. I was blind for so long, and I curse myself for not noticing sooner. But I know you love me now, and I love you as well._

_I don’t know if you will read this before you speak to Captain Kyoraku, but just remember that no matter what I am here when your month is over. I’m waiting for you, and I’ll be there for you however you need me when you get back. Don’t forget that and think you’re all on your own. You’re not on your own. You have me. I will see you when you get back._

_Love,  
Shuuhei_

She clutched the letter to her chest. Indeed, she was going to draw strength from it, from the man who wrote it, the man she loved. She smiled, then set down the letter and picked up the picture and tucked it inside her robes. She would be strong, and she would get through this week and get back to him and tell him over and over that she was thankful for him, so very thankful.


End file.
